Device for vending electricity.



E. EVANS.

DEVIGE FOR VENDING ELEOTRIGITY.

APPLIOAI'ION FILED JAN. 6, 1908.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

1145 NORRIS rzrzns coy, WASHINGTON, v.1:v

EVAN EVANS, OF BERLIN,

AKTIENGESELLSOHAFT, OF BERLIN,

@FFIQE.

GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO BERGMANN-ELEKTRIOITATS-WERKE- GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

DEVICE FOR VENDING- ELECTRICITY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. March 9, 1909.

Application filed January 6, 1908. Serial No. 409,413.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVAN EVANS, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, resident of Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Vending Electricity, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to coin-controlled mechanism, particularly for vending electricity, and has for its object to rovide an improved construction of such evices, especially in regard to the operation of the coin-rest.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic front elevation showing another form of circuit closer.

The coin introduced at the higher end of the inclined channel 0, as indicated by the arrow, and rolling down on the bottom, drops through an opening at the lower end of the channel, as indicated at t, and thus reaches the coin-trough or coin-carrier Z. This carrier is secured to a lever i pivoted at i and normally held against a pin a by a counterweight v7. The pin a may be placed in any one of a series of holes 1) so that the normal position of the lever i may be varied. The downward movement of the carrier, under the influence of the coins weight, is limited by a pin w, adjacent to a guide channel 22 which receives the coin from the carrier Z. The coin t then comes to rest temporarily upon a hook, rest or stop it and between two contact springs y and 2, so that it closes the circuit in which the electricity sold is to be used.

The lever i is provided with a pawl m which during the downward movement of the lever operates a ratchet a secured to the shaft it, which also carries rigidly a gear wheel p. The latter drives two members of a planetary gearing comprising three members. One of these, it, meshes with the wheel p. The second member, f, is mounted to turn upon a radial stud secured to the shaft g upon which the third member 6 and the first member h are mounted loosely. A hand 9 is secured to the shaft g rigidly. The pinion f is in engagement with bevel teeth on the wheels 6, h. The stud on which the pinion turns also carries a roll g which engages a roll 1" and presses it sidewise when the hand 9 points to zero, that is, when the apparatus is at rest. This roll 1" is carried by the lever r pivoted at s and having the hook it at its lower end. The wheel 6 meshes with a gear d secured to a shaft (1 which also carries a worm wheel 0 driven by a worm b on the shaft a of a rotary electricity meter. This meter is operated by the current in the circuit of the springs y, z, or by a current shunted therefrom. A spring is presses the roll 1" toward the roll g.

Fig. 2 shows the mechanism at its return to the position of rest, at the moment where the coin has been released from the stop a. The dropping of a coin into the carrier Z causes the latter to move downward, performing two functions: First, the wheels n, p, h, f and the shaft 9 are rotated (while the wheel e remains stationary) so as to carry the roll g out of contact with the roll 1 and allow the spring a; to swing the stop a into the path of the coin. Second, the coin t is brought to the guide channel 0) and drops on to the stop a, closing the circuit by contact with the springs y, z. The carrier Z is immediately returned to its normal position by the countel-weight t the pawl m slipping over the teeth of the ratchet n. As soon as the circuit is closed at '1 z, the meter shaft begins to rotate, causing the shaft g to gradually return to its normal position, through the action of the gearing b, 0, cl, 6, f, h. Immediately before this position is reached (with the hand g pointing to zero) the roll 1 presses the roll r aside, and thus the coin t is released from the stop a, and falls into the customary coin-receptacle; at the same time, the circuit is broken and the meter stops running. It will of course be understood that the shaft 9 does not perform a complete revolution.

Obviously, the time during which the circuit is closed, depends on the extent of the coin carriers movement, so that the device may be set for various lengths of time by adjusting the pin a.

Instead of including the coin t in the circuit as in Fig. 1, I may, as shown in Fig. 3, close the circuit by the pressure of the coin on connected contact springs y, z normally separated from stationary contact points if, 2 In either event, it is preferred to have the contact springs readily accessible and removable. The circuit closer shown in Fig. 1

oilers the advantage of keeping the contact oi the springs 1,1,2, bright bythe rubbing action of the coin further, the circuit is closed and opened at two points, thus avoiding or reducing sparking, an'd,-'-again, one of the circuit-closing elements (the coin) is a ways renewed.

Upon the insertion of a coin, the hand 9 indicates on a suitable dial the amount of electricity paid for the insertion of the coin, and while the apparatus is running, the hand shows how much electricity is still to be supplied before the circuit will be broken.

One or more additional coins may be introduced. while the first coin is still on the stop u. These additional coins will not operate the circuit closer, but will cause the meter to run a correspondingly greater length of time, since each downward movement of the lever 71 will cause electricity to be furnished during a certain period of time. When the first coin is released, the others will fall with it into the coin-receptacle. Of

. course, the number of coins introduced for a continuous operation should never be such as to give the shaft 9 a complete revolution, since this would release the coins prematurely through the action of the rolls q, 1".

I claim as my invention:

1. A coin-operated device, provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in the position in which it causes the operation of the device, means for normally keeping said rest out of the coins path, means, actuated by the insertion of a coin, for bringing said coin-rest into the coins. path, and means, operated by said device, for moving the coinrest at the end of the operation to release the coin.

2. A coin-operated device, provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in the position in which it causes the operation of the device, a movable coin-carrier arranged to convey the coin to said coin-rest, means, controlled by the movement of the coin-carrier in one direction, for moving the coin-rest into the coins path, and means, operated by the said device, for moving the coin-rest at the end of the operation to release the coin and stop the operation.

3. A coin-operated device, provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in the position in which it causes the operation of the device, a movable coin-carrier arranged to convey the coin to said coin-rest, actuating mechanism connected with the coin-rest, an engaging member for normally holding said mechanism in the coin-releasing position, means, controlled by the movement of the coin-carrier in one direction, for moving said engaging member a proportionate distance from the said mechanism to cause the coin rest to swing into the coins path, and means, operated by the said de vice, for gradually returning said engaging positions.

4. Acoin-operated device, provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in the position in which it causes the operation -oi-the device, a movable coin-carrier arranged-to convey the coin to said coin-rest, actuating mechanism connected with the coin-rest, an engaging member for normally holding said mechanism in the coin-releasing position, means, controlled by the movemoving said engaging member away from the said mechanism, to cause the coin-rest to swing into the coins path, and means, operated by the said device, for returning said engaging member and the coin-rest to their original positions.

5. A coin-operated device, provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in the position in which it causes the running of the device, a movable coin-carrier arranged to convey the coin to said coin-rest,

here, a driving connection from the actuated device to one of said members, to operate it while said device is running, means, operated by the movement of the coincarrier in one direction, for turning the second member of the planetary gearing, and thereby adjusting the third member, and means, controlled by said third member, for moving the coin-rest into the coins path at the beginning of the operation, and for releasing the coin at the end of the operation.

6. A coin-controlled electricity vending machine,provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in the position in which it effects a closing of the circuit, means for normally keeping said rest out of the coins path, means actuated by the insertion of a coin, for bringing said coin-rest into the coins path, and means, operated by the current, for moving the coin-rest at the end of the operation to release the coin and open the circuit.

7. A coin-controlled electricity vending machine, provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in the position in which it effects a closing of the circuit, a movable coin-carrier arranged to convey the coin to said coin-rest, a planetary gearing comprising three members, driving means, operated by the current, connected with one of said members, means operated bythe movement of the coin-carrier in one direction, for turning the second member of the planetary gearing, and thereby adjusting the third member, and means, controlled by said third member, for moving the coin-rest into the coins path at the beginning of the oper ation and for releasing the coin at the end of the operation.

8. A coin-operated device, provided with a movable coin-rest for holding the coin in member and the coin-rest to their original ment of the coin-carrier in one direction, forv a planetary gearing comprising three memthe position in which it causes the operation of the device, a movable coin-carrier, arranged to convey the coin to said coin-rest, means for varying the throw of the coincarrier, means controlled by the movement of the coin-carrier in one direction, for moving the coin-rest into the coins path, and 1 means, operated by the said device, for} moving the coin-rest at the end of the operi ation to release the coin and stop the oper- 1o ation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 23rd day of December 1907.

EVAN EVANS.

Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER, FRITZ ZIEGLER, Jr. 

